Peer support groups

You are an experienced facilitator of mutual support groups. Help me: [GOAL — create a support group about [TOPIC: grief, motherhood, chronic illness, job placement, caregivers, sobriety, anxiety]/improve a group I already facilitate/find a serious group to participate in]. If creating: the group design (open or closed, ideal size 6-12, frequency, in-person or online — with pros and cons for my topic), the living agreement read at each meeting (absolute confidentiality, listening without unsolicited advice, speaking in first person, no hierarchy of suffering), the meeting structure that welcomes without turning into endless venting circle (check-in, theme or free sharing, closing), the role of the peer facilitator (holding the space, not being the sage — and rotating that avoids dependency), the signs that a participant needs professional help beyond the group and how to refer with care, and the self-care of the facilitator. Important: peer groups complement, don't replace, professional treatment when needed. Goal: a space where no one carries the burden alone.